Black Scratch was across the street, trotting along like a big, ill-tempered dog. His tracks marked a crisscrossing pattern in the snow, though. Only moments ago, the beast had passed within a few yards of their hiding place. Li let out a thin sigh. A narrow escape, he thought.

Tycho nudged him. The bard was standing at his side but even on his toes was too short to see out. He mimed peering outside. Li nodded curtly and gestured in the direction Lander and his men were headed and motioned for Tycho to remain calm. The thugs were moving on. They hadn't been discovered.

Out on the street, Lander stopped abruptly, looking ahead sharply. Li stifled a curse and twisted his head to try and see what he was looking at.

More men were coming along the street. This group, however, wore the uniforms of city guards and they were looking around just as intently as Lander's men were. Li stifled another curse. Walking at their head was Mard Dantakain.

Tycho's face was twisted in frustration but Li waved him down. Outside, Lander and Mard were eyeing each other mistrustfully as the two groups met. Lander spoke first. "Captain Dantakain."

"Lander." The captain glanced distastefully at the men before him and at Black Scratch. "What are you doing out from under your rock so early?"

"Out for a stroll."

Mard didn't seem fooled. Or interested. "So are we."

"Fine day for it."

"I won't keep you standing, then. Olore." He strode forward, forcing Lander to hop out of his way. Lander grunted and snarled at his men-they all moved aside. Thugs and guards separated, each group moving a little faster now, eager to put distance between themselves. Within moments, the street outside the shed was empty.

Li dropped down from his toes and leaned against the shed wall. He glanced atTycho. "You heard?"

The bard's eyes were squeezed shut. "I heard."

"Is the guard looking for us, too?"

Tycho snorted. "Because of what happened at the Ease? I doubt it. The guard doesn't care that much about dockside." He opened his eyes and exhaled. "It's Laera." He looked up at Li. "Mard is looking for Laera. She didn't make it home last night."

"You sent her to a guard station."

"I know."

"Could Brin have her? He had Lander's man hold her hostage last night."

"Maybe, but I don't think he does. If Brin were holding her hostage to use against me, he wouldn't have Lander walking the streets. He'd just put the word out and let me come to him." Tycho clenched his jaw. "Not that it would work." Li looked at him and he scowled. "I got her out of the Ease last night. I sent her on her way. She's a stupid girl and she's on her own. I'm not going to be responsible for her."

"Tycho…"

The bard held his hands over his ears. "No. I'm not going to listen-I'm not going to worry about her. We don't know she's in danger. Her father's the captain of the guard. If he can't find her, there isn't much we could do to help. And we've got serious problems of our own." He lowered his hands. "Brin hasn't given up looking for us.

Or at least for you. What was so special about Yu Mao that Brin would hunt you like this?"

"I don't know," said Li smoothly. "It's something to ask him-once we have the beljurils."

"Be careful, Li," Tycho sighed. "That's starting to sound like a desperate measure. I'm not even sure Brin's going to want to see me when… "/we get the beljurils back."

"We're desperate men, Tycho." Li stood and stretched up to peer out of the air-gap once more. "You said last night you couldn't think of a better plan. Have you thought of one this morning?"

"No."

"So how do we find the Hooded?"

Tycho sighed again. "That's not so simple. Brin is easy to find-unless you're a complete stranger to Span-deliyon, of course. But the Hooded…" He rubbed his eyes. "Nobody goes looking for the Hooded. Usually the Hooded finds you." He leaned back, hands behind his head, and frowned in thought. "Jacerryl Dantakain might know something, though. We know he's done business with the Hooded once or twice. After last night, we're not likely going to be able to talk to him anytime soon, though."

Li's eyes went wide as he watched a tall figure with carefully groomed hair and two very full packs creep out of an alley across the way and turn down the street. "I wouldn't be so sure!" he said sharply, pushing himself away from the wall and leaping for the shed door. He wrenched it open and charged across the street.

Jacerryl Dantakain barely had time to look up and yelp. He tried to run, but Li had his hands on him before he managed to take a step. Quick as a wet cat, Li hustled him back into the alley and snapped a fist across his jaw. Jacerryl spun around. One of the packs that he carried slipped off, falling to the ground with the jingling rattle of many coins. Li kicked it aside and pinned Jacerryl against the wall. "Going somewhere?" he asked him. He punched him sharply in the belly.

"Li!" Tycho skidded to a stop inside the alley. For a moment, his mouth dropped open at the sight of Li's captive. Only for a moment, though, then it turned up into a crooked smile. "Olore, Jacerryl," he said pleasantly. Jacerryl groaned. Li wrenched him upright and held him there.

"Look in his bag," he told Tycho. The bard knelt and opened the fallen pack. His hands dug through hastily crumpled clothes and emerged with a heavy pouch. Two heavy pouches. Tycho caught his breath and stood up. He held the pouches out in front of Jacerryl.

"You walking, talking bucket of chum." His smile didn't waver. "You were running."

Jacerryl spat out a mouthful of blood. He didn't do a very good job of it, though. Bloody spittle streaked his chin and the front of his coat. "Why shouldn't I?" he gasped. "There's a ship in the harbor. You think I'm going to wait for Brin to come and get me? You'd do the same if you could. I know it!" He flicked his head at the pouches. "Keep one and let me go." Li tightened his grasp on him. Jacerryl's eyes shrank in pain. "Keep both!"

"Both? That's a generous offer. What would you use to buy passage? "Tycho stepped in close and pulled Jacerryl's coat open. Another pouch hung at his belt. Tycho ripped it free. "How much is in your other pack?" Jacerryl closed his mouth tight.

Li opened it for him with a slap across his face.

"Bastards!" snarled Jacerryl.

Li slapped him again before Tycho caught his arm. The bard gave Jacerryl a hard glare. "I don't care if you run, Jacerryl. There's nothing I'd like better than to see you squirming in the muck of Brin's pigsty, but you tell me one little thing and I'll let you go." Jacerryl blinked and Tycho's smile crooked higher. "How do I find the Hooded?"

Jacerryl stared at him, looked to Li, and looked back again. "That's it? That's it and you'll let me go?" He stood a little straighten "Go to Crown Alley on the east side of middle town. There's a cellar entrance to a leatherworker's shop. Knock and say you've come about a saddle."

"A saddle?" growled Li. Suspicion was sharp in his mind. He twisted the hand that held Jacerryl and the man gasped. Tycho elbowed him.

"Easy," he said. "I think he's telling the truth. Spandeli-yon is a port town. There are only a few horses anywhere. No one would normally ask for a saddle around here." Tycho looked back at Jacerryl. "One other thing-what about Laera?"

Jacerryl groaned but raised his head. "Laera? She's run away. Mard's in a fury. He thinks you had something to do with it."

"Of course he does." Tycho stepped back. He dropped the three pouches at Jacerryl's feet and nodded to Li. "All right," he said, "let him go."

Li looked down at the man in his grasp. He was going to have the chance to get away while Tycho suffered? Li's eyes narrowed.

His fist jabbed against Jacerryl's jaw twice. When he released his grasp on him, Jacerryl fell back against the wall and slid down to sprawl in the snow. Li looked up at Tycho. "What?" he asked innocently. "I let him go." He stooped down and scooped the pouches into Jacerryl's fallen pack, tugged the other pack off his body, and shoved it at Tycho. The bard turned his smile on him.